Reflector for headlights or search-lights.



A. W, HARRIS. REFLECTOR FOR HEADLIGVHTS OR SEARCH LIGHTS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.29, 191s. RENEWED JAN. I5. 1919.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

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REFLECTOR FOR HEADLIGHTS OR SEARCH LIGHTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-29.19i6- RENEWED JAN. 15,19I9.

1,300,725, Patented Apr) 15, 1919.

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' UNITED srnrrns PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED W. HARRIS, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HILL-HARRIS COMPANY, OF GALESBURG, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

REFLECTOR FOR I-IEADLIGI-ITS OR SEARCH-LIGHTS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

Application filed September 29, 1916, Serial No. 122,784. Renewed January 15, 1919. Serial No. 271,338.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED W. T'TARRIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reflectors for Headlights or Search-Lights; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in reflectors for head lights or search lights and consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a head light or search light wherein a lamp body which is fixed, is provided with a reflector and light, which are capable of movement Within the lamp body to direct-the rays of the light in any direction by means of an operating mechanism which may be placed at any distance from the lamp body. The reflector and lamp are movable in the improved construction, in the body of the lamp, as the human eye in its socket, and the rays from the lamp are capable of projection in any direction in the same way as the line of sight in the case of the human The many advantages of my invention will appear as I proceed with my specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view representing a vertical, central section in the axis of the lamp through a lamp body, provided with my improved reflector, in a plane indicated by the line 11 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 represents a rear elevation of the reflector with the body of. the lamp removed.

Fig. 3 represents on an enlarged scale a partial transverse section through the reflector in a plane indicated by the line 3-3 Y of Fig. 2.

.Fig. 4 represents on an enlarged scale a partial transverse section through Fig. 2 in a plane indicated by the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 represents perspective VlGWS 1n controlling device for moving the reflector.

Fig. 8 is a view representing a transverse section through Fig. 7 in a plane indicated by the lines 88 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a view representing a trans verse section through Fig. 7 in a plane indicated by the line 99 of Fig. 7.

Figs. 10 and 11 are detail views of a sheave used in the controlling mechanism, more particularly referred to hereinafter.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings :-10 indicates the outer shell or casing of a head light .or search light of any usual construction. My improved reflector is capable of attachment to any ordinary head light or search light body, as will appear as I proceed with my specification.

The open end of the casing 10 which is defined by a flange 11, is closed by a door 12, hinged to said flange 11.

The door 12, as shown, has a frame preferably tubular in cross section, which is rabbeted on its rear side to provide a seat for the usual lens 13 and to provide a groove to receive the lens-retaining spring ring 14.

15 indicates as a whole my improved reflector which is adapted to be secured within the head light or search light casing.

Said reflector comprises generally a member 16 which is fixed within the casing 10, and a movable reflector and lamp carrying member 17 which bears upon and which is capable of a universal movement within the fixed or stationarymember 16. 18 indicates a shell which has bearing engagement upon the outer surface of the fixed member 16.

The fixed member 16 comprises a hemispheric shell ofthin sheet metal of a diameter somewhat smaller than that of the easing 10 and the marginal edge of said shell is turned outwardly to form a radial flange 19. A part of said flange 19 adjacent to the shell body is beveled as indicated at 20, for a purpose soon to appear. The radial flange 19 is adapted to engage the inner surface of the marginal edge of the lens 13, and to be engaged and held in place by the spring 14. Said shell 16 is provided with a polar opening 21 and with a plurality of spaced, parallel, inwardly extending ribs 22 which are formed in planes, at right angles to the polar axis of said shell. The said ribs as shown are spun in the metal of the shell forming not only the ribs on the inner surface of the shell but grooves 22 on the outer surface of the shell.

Within the shell 16 and bearing upon the ribs 22 is located the movable reflector shell 17. Said reflector shell 17 comprises an outer spheric bearing member 23 of a radius approximating that of the fixed member 16, and a parabolic inner member 24. The two members are connected together at their front, marginal edges.

The reflector shell 17 is provided with a tubular polar projection 25 which extends rearwardly through the polar opening 21 on the fixed shell 16 and through a horizontal slot 18' in the shell 18. Said tubular projection supports a lamp bulb 26 at its front end within the movable reflector member 17 at the focal center of its parabolic member 24, while its rear end is threaded externally to receive a nut 27 which holds the several parts of the reflector in assembled relation. The current conducting wires for the lamp bulb 26 are led out through a suitable opening in the casing 10 and are operatively connected to a source of current supply.

Bearing upon the outer surface of the shell 18 is a cap member 30which is held in place by the nut 27. Said cap member comprises a part of a spheric shell and at its center is provided with a hole 30, through which the tubular polar projection 25 extends. It is also provided at one side of the marginal hole 30 with a horizontal meridian slot 30*. The shell 18 in addition to the slot 18 is provided with two meridian slots 18*, 18", which are placed in a vertical plane, that is to say, in a plane at right angles to the plane of the slot 18% It is to be understood that while the terms vertical and horizontal are used in describing these slots, these terms are merely adopted for the sake of clearness, and that it is only necessary that these slots called respectively vertical and horizontal, be in planes at right angles to each other, as will be apparent.

In addition to the slots in the shell 18, already mentioned, there is a slot 18 spaced from one end of the horizontal slot 18 and spaced in a plane parallel'to the meridian plane of the slots 18".

On the shell 18 are fixed radial pins 31, 32 and 33, which are placed in a common plane extending at right angles to the polar axis of the shell 16 and which engage re- The pin 32 projects not only through the slot 18 in the shell 18, but also through the slot 30 in the cap 30. With the pins engaged in the slots as described, the other parts are clamped together by means of the nut 27 (as clearly shown in Fig. 4) a felt washer or other yielding member 27 a being interposed between the nut and the outer surface of the cap, to provide a yielding bearing engagement between the several parts. It will be apparent from the construction thus far described, that the reflector member 17 and the cap 30 may move together horizontally, that is to say, in one plane, by reason of the slot 18 in the shell 18. It will also be apparent that the reflector 17, the shell 18 and the cap.30 may move together in a vertical direction, that is to say, in a plane at right angles to the first mentioned plane, by reason of the slots 18*, 18 in the shell 18. f

Thus, manifestly, there is provided in the supporting bearing for the reflector 17 upon the fixed reflector member 16, a universal movement in any direction within the limits of the movement of the tubular extension 25 within the polar opening 21 in the shell 16.

It will also be apparent that in the movement of the reflector 17, the lamp 26 will move with said reflector, so that the lamp always, no matter what the position of the reflector may be, occupies the proper focal center with reference to the parabolic surface of'the reflector, so as to always direct the rays of the light in lines parallel to the polar axis of said reflector.

In order to provide means for moving the reflector with the lamp in the manner hereinbefore described, I preferably provide the following: On the pins 31 and 32 are rotatively mounted sheaves or pulleys 35 and 36 respectively. These pulleys or sheaves are spring controlled, coiled springs 37 37 being located within the body of the sheaves which are made hollow for the purpose, and being connected at one end with the sheave and at the other end with the pin upon which it is mounted. The sheaves are made of comparatively large diameter. On the bottom side of each sheave is provided a *pinion 38, of comparatively smaller diameter. Rack bars 18*, 18 are provided at one side of each of the slots 18 ,30", that are formed respectively in the shell 18 and in the cap 30. Apparently, a rotation of either 'shell with its respective pinion in engagement with the associated rack bar will move the reflector in one direction or the other.

Wires 40, 11 are connected and partially wound upon the respective sheaves 35, 36 and are connected to controlling arms which are preferably mounted on the steering post 12 in the case of an automobile, in a posi tion convenient to the hands of the driver'at spectively within the slots 18, 18 and 18". the steering wheel. These wires are incased in tubes 40, 41 which together extend through a Bourdon tube 43. A bracket clip 44 attached to the fixed shell 16 provides support for said tubes in the neighborhood of the pulleys or sheaves. The Bourdon tube containing the wires and tubes is led into search light leading tothe controlling mechanism.

The controlling mechanism is preferably as follows: On the steering post adjacent the steering wheel, is mounted an annular casing 45 which is attached to the steering post housing by means of a strap 46 in any convenient manner. Said casing comprises a body 45 and a capplate 47. Within the casing there are mounted two rotatable pulleys or sheaves 48, 49 (see Figs. 10 and 11) to which are attached in any convenient fashion, radial arms 48*, 49 respectively. As shown in the drawings, the two sheaves are rotatively mounted on a bolt 50 which is screwed into the base of the casing. The casing is provided at its lower end with an inlet boss or box 51 through which are led the two wires of each lamp or search light. The wires adapted to move the lamps in one direction, as for example, in a vertical direction, are wrapped about and attached to one sheave, for example the sheave 49, whereas those adapted to move the lamps in a direction at right angles to that first mentioned, are attached to the other sheave 48. Manifestly, by means of the arms 48 and 49 a universal movement may be imparted to the reflectors by one sitting at the steering post. By means of the rack and pinion construction described, a comparatively large movement of each controlling arm 48 A9 is required in order to make a much smaller movement of the reflector, so that by this construction, the mechanism and its movement is not made too delicate.

In order to provide for taking up slack in case it occurs in the several wires, each wire is connected to the sheave as follows: An opening is provided in the periphery of each of said sheaves and the end of the associated wire is led through said opening and held in place by means of clamp screws 60. By loosening said screws, any slack may be taken up and the screws again tightened.

Any suitable pawl and ratchet mechanism is provided to hold the sheaves in any position into which they are brought. As shown, the periphery of each wheel is provided with ratchet teeth 61 which are engaged by a spring controlled pawl 62, suitably mounted in the boss 51.

The operation of the mechanism will be apparent from the description heretofore given. Manifestly, the spring controlled sheaves 85, 36 will tend to maintain the reflector at one end of the movement of the polar extension 25 in each of the meridian planes of its movement. The shifting of the controlling arms will act against said springs and move said extension in either of the opposite directions. Thus the reflector will move in one direction in each meridian plane under the action of the springs and in the opposite direction in the said plane under the pull of the wires connected to it. Thus, by shifting the arms 48*, 49", a movement of the reflector in all directions will be brought about.

In order to provide an anti-friction bearing between the fixed member of the reflector and the movable member, the grooves 22* are filled with graphite orother lubricating medium. This provides for easy frictionless movement between the parts.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the fixed shell member 16 constitutes a socket and that the reflector proper l7 and the lamp are universally movable in said socket under the control of the driver of the automobile or other machine with which the head light is connected. Thus the lamp body remains stationary but the reflector and the light, the latter being the eye of the-lamp, are movable to project the rays in any direction.

I claim as my invention:

1. A reflector comprising a fixed spheric shell member, a parabolic reflector having bearing upon said fixed spheric shell member, and capable of universal movement thereon, a lamp fixed in the focal center of said reflector movable with said reflector, and means for moving said reflector in any girection upon said fixed spheric shell mem- 2. In a headlight, in combination with a lamp body, a socket member, fixed in said lamp body, a reflector member havino universal bearing in said socket member, a lamp fixed in the focal center of said reflector movable with said reflector member, and means for moving said reflector member in any direction.

3. In a headlight, in combination with a lamp body, a socket member, fixed in said lamp body, a parabolic reflector member having bearing upon said socket member and capable of movement in any direction therein, a lamp fixed in the focal center of said reflector movable with said reflector, and means for movincr said lamp and reflector in unison in any dlrection.

4. In a device of the kind described, a socket member including a fixed spheric shell, a reflector member comprising a spheric bearing shell and a parabolic reflecting shell, means for retaining said reflector member in bearing engagement within said socket member, a lamp fixed in the focal center of said reflector member, and means for imparting universal movement to said reflector member.

5. In a device of the kind described, a socket member including a spheric shell, a reflector member comprising a splieric shell having bearing in said socket member and a parabolic reflector member, said reflector having a polar extension, a lamp fixed in said polar extension in the focal center of said reflector, said socket member being provided with an opening through which said polar extension projects, a cap engaging the outer surface of said socket member and movable in one direction thereon, said cap being fixed with respect to said reflector member when movement is imparted to said cap, and said reflector being capable of independent movement in a plane at an angle to the movement of said cap, a plate bearing upon sald cap and capable of movement with said cap and sa1d reflector and means on said polar extension of said reflector member for presence of two witnesses, this 6th day of 3 September, A. D. 1916.

ALFRED W. HARRIS.

Witnesses:

B. LLMAGGREGOR, N. C. MURPHY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner 01' Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

